Samuel Sanchez's hometown of Oviedo erects a statue in his honor

Olympic Champion gets the unique chance to ride by a statue of himself through his hometown

Euskaltel-Euskadi captain, Samuel Sanchez, is quietly going about his preparations for his year's major goal, the Tour de France, at the Ruta del Sol right now. The 32 year old descending genius and equally adept climber currently sits in 12th place overall in Spain.

A little bit north from Andalucia, in Sanchez's Asturian hometown of Oviedo, there stands another Samuel Sanchez - a statue.

The 2008 Olympic champion's hometown was proud of one of their favorite sons and made a statue of Sanchez's likeness on the podium with his gold medal in Beijing. The statue stands in the city's Plaza de la Liberacion, and it's a spot that Sanchez doesn't mind passing in training.

"I'm very happy," said last year's 4th place Tour de France finisher to Sidi Sport. "Winning a medal at the Olympics is in itself extraordinary, there is nothing more gratifying in sports. Every time I pass in front of this statue during my training, I remember Beijing, and even now, I think back on that race, and it still feels incredible."

One has to wonder - if Sanchez is able to win the Tour de France someday, will the town erect another statue in his honor?